This crowdfunding app for the homeless could roll out soon

Soon, folks walking through Center City can use an app to fulfill the needs of the people experiencing homelessness aro
und them.

StreetChange is a mobile crowdfunding app developed by University of Pennsylvania researchers Andrew Siegel and Dan Treglia. Through the app, users can help purchase necessities like socks and shoes for specific individuals. Those short-term needs are requested by people experiencing homelessness and reported by caseworkers.

Funded by the Barra Foundation, the app uses Bluetooth dongles to pinpoint the location of individuals in need, and users can learn more about the person they’re helping via short profiles.

According to NewsWorks, StreetChange was piloted this past spring with 40 homeless individuals and is expected to roll out this winter.